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Another shot at birding starts Saturday in Silver City

Counting birds helps the Audobon see environmental trends

Sun-News report

Posted:
02/12/2014 05:56:29 PM MST

Courtesy photo
The Eurasian-collared dove is one of the more common birds seen around Silver City. SWNM Audubon is encouraging everyone to participate in the Audobon's bird count this weekend. To find out how to identify the birds, visit the Audubon's online bird guide at http://birds.audubon.org/birdid.

SILVER CITY >> If you missed the local birding opportunities in Silver City and Gila that took place in December and January, you will have another chance this weekend to look at, and count, the birds. Southwestern New Mexico Audubon encourages participants in the 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), it said through a news release.

"There are a lot of common birds here, we hope people will report those," Treasurer of SWNM Audubon Terry Timme said. "People take for granted the more common species, like grackles or doves. But the trends in the population of birds across the country are changing. That can give us an indication of what's happening in the environment, it's not always apparent to the naked eye."

Participants simply watch birds at any location for at least 15 minutes on any day between Saturday and Tuesday, tally the numbers of each species you see, and report those tallies online at www.BirdCount.org. Portions of the GBBC site are also now available in Spanish at www.ContandoAves.org.

"One interesting phenomenon in birding is that a few years ago, there were no Eurasian collar doves, and now they're more common than the morning dove," Timme said.

For the first time, anyone anywhere in the world with Internet access can participate. Anyone visiting the GBBC website will be able to see bird observations pouring in from around the world and contribute their own tallies. Global participation will be made possible thanks to eBird, a real-time online checklist program that the Cornell Lab and Audubon are integrating into the GBBC for the first time this year.

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"We're hoping at least several hundred people in the Silver City area will do a back yard bird count," Timme said. "Or if someone goes for a hike, or goes out for lunch, they can count what birds they see and report that. It helps."

The GBBC is open to anyone of any skill level and welcomes bird observations from any location, including backyards, national parks, gardens, wetlands, and urban landscapes.

"They have pictures of all the birds and info to help people to decide what birds they saw," Timme said. "And if people have a smart phone, they can download an app to identify the birds."

The four-day count typically receives sightings from tens of thousands of people reporting more than 600 bird species in the United States and Canada alone. It is an example of citizen science that is playing an increasingly important role in identifying the impact we are having on birds. Reporting even what you think are common birds, like great-tailed grackles and eurasian-collared doves, can yield important information.

"We're eager to see how many of the world's 10,240 bird species will be reported during the count this year," said Cornell Lab director John Fitzpatrick. "We're looking forward to this historic snapshot of birds that will be reported from around the world. We need as many people as possible to help build the wealth of data that scientists need to track the health of bird populations through time."

Participants will be able to view what others are seeing on interactive maps and contribute their tallies for ongoing bird research and conservation efforts. For the first time, participants will also be able to upload their counts from the field using the eBird BirdLog app for Apple or Android smart phones. To celebrate the new global reach of the count, developers of the eBird BirdLog app are offering regional versions of the app for 99 cents through Feb. 18.

"This count is so much fun because anyone can take part, whether you are an expert, novice, or feeder watcher," said Gary Langham, Audubon's chief scientist through a news release. "Invite new birders to join and share the experience. Once you get involved, you can continue with eBird year round."

Participating is easy. To learn more about how to join the count, get bird ID tips, plus downloadable instructions, web buttons, and flyers, visit www.BirdCount.org. The count also includes a photo contest and a prize drawing for participants who enter at least one bird checklist online. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.